Rickshaw puller forced to carry newborn daughter on chest

A cycle rickshaw-puller in Rajasthan has been overwhelmed by offers of help after his story emerged of how he was forced to carry his newborn daughter on his chest as he ferried passengers after her mother died.

Bablu Jatav's daughter, one month old Damini, was in intensive care in a Jaipur hospital on Tuesday after she was admitted critically ill with pneumonia, anaemia and severe dehydration.

Her mother died after going into premature labour last month and since then Damini has travelled with her poor father as he peddled his rickshaw through the streets of Bharatpur. Their story emerged earlier this month as a heart-warming and unusual tale of a grieving husband who refused to abandon his motherless daughter as often happens in India.

But without any other relatives to care for her, he was forced to keep her with him as he peddled through Bharatpur's congested and polluted roads, strapped to his chest in a home-made papoose.

However the reality of her perilous first month of life – bumpy roads, heavy air pollution, high temperatures and dehydration – overtook the warming story of her father's devotion as she fought to survive in a Jaipur hospital.

"My daughter is not well and I am worried. She is too weak because she was not fed by her mother," Mr Jatav said at the hospital.

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The Rajasthan state government said it would pay for Damini's medical treatment as doctors said she had shown signs of real improvement.

"Her condition has improved a lot. Her breathing has stabilised a bit and with further improvement, we will remove her from the ventilator. She was admitted to the hospital in a critical condition yesterday and her internal organs were infected. She was suffering from pneumonia and anaemia," said Dr Jaikrishan Mittal, neonatal consultant at the city's Fortis Escorts Hospital The offers of support for the family have been welcomed by women's rights activists who said they revealed a more caring India, which had recently faced strong criticism over its high rates of female foeticide.

"These are positive stories about families, which are protective and about real care about girls. These instances prove that not all families hate girls in India and there is hope for a better future for girls in India," said Flavia Agnes, Women Rights activist.